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MUlMINEWSm
december 2005: Volume 95, Issue 4
MAKING A DIFFERENCE JUST GOT EASIER
A special yeor-end edition of The View From the Choir, by Rita Brogan
INSIDE:
King County's Annexations
Good Government... Globally
ML Alumni Party Animals
From the Vaults
Rita Brogan is the chair of the
Municipal League and host of the
Muni League Forum on King
County Television.
The Municipal League rode into its heyday in 1 91 0 on the
wave of populism that swept the nation, inspired by Theodore
Roosevelt's bully pulpit. Its single mission was then, as it is
now, a commitment to fostering good government.
For many decades the Municipal League was the local hero
for ousting corrupt elected officials, governance reform, and
environmental clean-up. These are things that are relatively
easy for people to support, and the Municipal League helped
keep the focus on the public's best interest, in spite of the
complexities of implementation.
Advocates for today's candidates and issues are advised to
stick to simple key messages - the so-called "sound bites" -
and focus them to selected segments of the population
needed to sway an election. It is ironic that as issues get
increasingly complex, the rhetoric becomes more and more
basic. Today's campaigns are often more similar to marketing perfume than they are to true
political discourse.
There are few venues for discourse. We live in parallel political universes. With so many radio
stations and television channels, people simply need to turn to their station of choice to hear like-
minded views. Or, they can choose to ignore politics entirely in favor of entertainment, an
increasingly popular option.
And where does civic responsibility come in? It may seem like a quaint and idealistic notion today,
but it is still the bedrock on which our system of governance was built. And it is the energy that
drives members of the Municipal League to spend thousands of hours each year evaluating
candidates and ballot issues, and developing programs to inform people in our region about
critical issues of the day.
It has not always been easy. Today, the League prevails as a volunteer organization with one able,
but part-time administrative staff. The Board of Directors has had to take a hard look at our
activities and our mission to assure our continued relevance in today's political environment.
We've made huge progress, thanks to hundred-plus volunteers. These dedicated people diligently
reviewed candidates for local and judicial races. Also, the League forged partnerships with other
community organizations to encourage dialogue on issues such as judicial selection, King County
elections reform, City Light accountability, transportation governance, civic engagement, the
Seattle Monorail Project, the future role of the Port of Seattle, and more. We worked with a group
of youthful volunteers from Mercer Island's High School Day of Service, and we are currently
working with Seattle Central Community College to develop a Civic Engagement module that
gives community college students direct opportunities to participate in the process of civic
activism, continued on page 3
The Municipal League of
King County
empowered citizens, informed choices.

MUlMINEWSm
december 2005: Volume 95, Issue 4
MAKING A DIFFERENCE JUST GOT EASIER
A special yeor-end edition of The View From the Choir, by Rita Brogan
INSIDE:
King County's Annexations
Good Government... Globally
ML Alumni Party Animals
From the Vaults
Rita Brogan is the chair of the
Municipal League and host of the
Muni League Forum on King
County Television.
The Municipal League rode into its heyday in 1 91 0 on the
wave of populism that swept the nation, inspired by Theodore
Roosevelt's bully pulpit. Its single mission was then, as it is
now, a commitment to fostering good government.
For many decades the Municipal League was the local hero
for ousting corrupt elected officials, governance reform, and
environmental clean-up. These are things that are relatively
easy for people to support, and the Municipal League helped
keep the focus on the public's best interest, in spite of the
complexities of implementation.
Advocates for today's candidates and issues are advised to
stick to simple key messages - the so-called "sound bites" -
and focus them to selected segments of the population
needed to sway an election. It is ironic that as issues get
increasingly complex, the rhetoric becomes more and more
basic. Today's campaigns are often more similar to marketing perfume than they are to true
political discourse.
There are few venues for discourse. We live in parallel political universes. With so many radio
stations and television channels, people simply need to turn to their station of choice to hear like-
minded views. Or, they can choose to ignore politics entirely in favor of entertainment, an
increasingly popular option.
And where does civic responsibility come in? It may seem like a quaint and idealistic notion today,
but it is still the bedrock on which our system of governance was built. And it is the energy that
drives members of the Municipal League to spend thousands of hours each year evaluating
candidates and ballot issues, and developing programs to inform people in our region about
critical issues of the day.
It has not always been easy. Today, the League prevails as a volunteer organization with one able,
but part-time administrative staff. The Board of Directors has had to take a hard look at our
activities and our mission to assure our continued relevance in today's political environment.
We've made huge progress, thanks to hundred-plus volunteers. These dedicated people diligently
reviewed candidates for local and judicial races. Also, the League forged partnerships with other
community organizations to encourage dialogue on issues such as judicial selection, King County
elections reform, City Light accountability, transportation governance, civic engagement, the
Seattle Monorail Project, the future role of the Port of Seattle, and more. We worked with a group
of youthful volunteers from Mercer Island's High School Day of Service, and we are currently
working with Seattle Central Community College to develop a Civic Engagement module that
gives community college students direct opportunities to participate in the process of civic
activism, continued on page 3
The Municipal League of
King County
empowered citizens, informed choices.